Lionel Messi-led Argentina football team’s Kerala visit gains ground

Dubai: Football fans in India — especially Kerala — may soon have their long-standing dream come true: watching the Argentine national team in action on home soil.

With a fanbase that stretches back to the Diego Maradona era, Argentina has enjoyed unmatched affection in parts of India. Now, with the team’s growing global footprint and a new regional sponsorship deal in place, the dream of seeing Lionel Messi in action might finally be within reach for Indian fans.

The LuLu Exchange and LuLu Money brands have signed on as AFA’s Regional Fintech Partners in India, the UAE, and eight other countries in Asia and the GCC. The agreement, unveiled in Dubai on Tuesday, runs until mid-2026 and includes merchandise giveaways, digital activations, and the possibility of fan events featuring Argentine players.

Speaking to Gulf News, Adeeb Ahamed, Founder and Managing Director of LuLu Financial Holdings, said that he hoped the collaboration would eventually help bring the Argentine national team to India or the Gulf for a match or training camp. “We serve a huge Indian population, particularly from Kerala, and they have a historic passion for football,” he said. “This partnership brings us one step closer to the communities we serve — and hopefully, one step closer to seeing Argentina play here.”

Leandro Petersen, AFA’s Commercial and Marketing Chief, echoed the sentiment. “We are aware of the incredible love from India, especially Kerala. It’s remarkable how far the country is, yet how close the people feel. We are working at the government level and hope to visit.”

While there are no official announcements yet, both Petersen and Ahamed acknowledged that discussions are underway with relevant stakeholders.

“The love from one country to another is incredible,” Petersen added. “We are working on it.”

As Argentina round off their World Cup qualifying campaign and begin to focus on defending their crown in 2026, Messi’s presence remains a rallying point — not just for fans back home, but also across the diaspora that follows him from Buenos Aires to Kerala.

With the Gulf and India hosting more major sporting events in recent years, the idea of Argentina playing a friendly match, conducting a winter training camp, or staging fan-focused tours in the region no longer seems far-fetched.

For fans from Kochi to Khalifa City, the road to the World Cup may just bring their footballing heroes a little closer to home.